Our Mission
Lower the cost of sincerity for everyone who works
Speaking up takes courage. No one wants to make the boss look bad, challenge the wrong idea, or raise a problem without a solution.
That’s why our engagements start with confidential listening sessions with employees at all levels: to break the cycle of self-censorship that keeps teams from reaching their full potential.
Our team listens to everyone, from interns to executives. In the process, we make room for open dialogue that reveals blind spots, sparks insight, and builds mutual trust and respect.
Meet Our Founder
An engineer, designer, and operational leader who’s been on both sides of the table
Ben Jackson is our founder and an expert in residence at Wharton’s Venture Lab. Previously, he was the Director of Mobile at Vice Media, and a lead iOS engineer at The New York Times, where he helped launch the paywall that drives over 90% of subscriptions today.
Over 20 years in tech, Ben has seen how most “performance issues” boil down to people talking past each other. And with AI making individuals more productive while teams become less productive, that insight has never been more relevant.
Ben’s insights on organizational performance have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Morning Brew, and Fast Company.
Follow on LinkedInOur Vision
We’re determined to build workplaces where everyone feels like their voice matters
These days, work often feels like everyone's talking, but no one's listening. Our jobs look a lot like social media, with the loudest voices driving decisions that impact everyone.
But while viewing your workplace from multiple perspectives isn’t always easy, it’s the key to innovation and growth. All of us want to feel like our job matters, and like we matter, too. It’s why people who feel heard take more ownership of results.
Our goal is to help your team members view each other not just as coworkers, or even friends, but as valued partners.
Selected Clients
Selected Press Clips
The Wall Street Journal
ChatGPT Can Save You Hours at Work. Why Are Some Companies Banning It?
By Lindsay Ellis, March 22, 2023
Though potentially a timesaver, there are serious risks to using ChatGPT to evaluate workers, said Ben Jackson, founder of Hear Me Out, a culture strategy firm. Employees might be unsettled, he said, if software-generated feedback becomes a factor in who is promoted or pushed out.
Morning Brew
To effectively mentor younger employees in remote or hybrid setups, companies need to be intentional and build trust, experts say
By Sam Blum, July 25, 2022
“One thing every employer forgets is that younger employees have a lot less confidence,” Ben Jackson, founder and principal of the workplace-culture consultancy Hear Me Out, told HR Brew.
The Atlantic
On the Front Lines of the Great Resignation
By Charlie Warzel, November 4, 2021
For the last year or so, I’ve had a monthly chat scheduled with Ben Jackson, who is a designer, researcher, and HR expert… In our chats, Ben has used his deep well of firsthand experience to help me understand what’s broken with work and how we can begin to apply some sustainable fixes.
